1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outboard motor including a cowling surrounding an engine, and more particularly to an outboard motor having a cowling defining an air introduction chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
In outboard motors for use at the stern of a hull, ambient water tends to enter the cowling surrounding an engine as ambient air is introduced to the cowling. This problem results from the inherent structure of the outboard motors. The outboard motors, therefore, usually employ a structure for separating water droplets from the air introduced to the cowling. The air separated from the water droplets will be delivered to the engine.
In the outboard motor disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-034984, an air introduction chamber above an engine and an engine chamber are defined in the cowling. A rear wall of the cowling has an air introduction opening. A pair of air ducts extend into the air introduction chamber for guiding the ambient air introduced to the air introduction chamber to the engine chamber. In the outboard motor structured as above, the ambient air introduced from the air introduction opening will flow and circulate around the air ducts, and water droplets will be separated from the air before entering the engine chamber.